


The Trojan's Debt

by kevintheturkey



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: After Trojan War, F/F, Greek Mythology AU, I say but never do, I'll add more tags later, Rose Quartz is Aphrodite btw, Sea Monsters, water nymphs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-07-15 03:23:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7204865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kevintheturkey/pseuds/kevintheturkey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Decades after the Trojan War, Peridosius is visited by Aphrodite in a dream, telling her to aid her brother on a quest to rebuild Troy. However, after her life is "saved" by a water nymph, Peridosius must find a way to pay back her debt while finding her brother. This would all be a lot easier if Lapis put some clothes on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning Pt.1

**Author's Note:**

> Super pumped for this fic, I absolutely love it and it's not very angsty. It's rated T for language sorry if you came for...something else.
> 
> Please enjoy my brain baby.

She remembered the heat radiating from the city in waves as the sun dipped below black waves. Despite the dying sun, her home was bathed in an orange glow that hurt her eyes to look at. She wondered if her father and brother made it out alive, or if the Greeks had slain them like her aunts and cousins.

A general had taken her from her fiery home, commanding her large soldiers to throw her onto her ship like raided loot. The city had flickered and faded away with a dying light. 

At least Troy went out with a bang.

 

***

 

Personally, Peridosius hated the summer. The heat was suffocating on its own, and the humidity would cause her papyrus to crack and tear when she held it. Even worse, her master would take none of these obstacles into consideration when giving her assignments. True, she had to pay her dues, but the least her master could do is make her tasks possible. 

She growled as the scratchy burlap full of scrolls bounced on her hip while she walked through the square. Stupid heat, stupid scrolls, stupid assignments. 

She glared at a pair of naked women chatting near a well, throwing pointed looks at her.

Fools, if they knew who she was they would be trembling on their knees, begging for mercy. If they knew her bloodline they'd throw themselves at her feet and kiss them, asking for a blessing. 

One of them gave a snort and looked away, giggling with her friend. 

Peridosius sighed and trudged on, remembering her place in the Greek heirarchy. No one in this damned country would fear a slave, especially one that was as pampered as her. 

It was a mystery to the inhabitants why she was treated so fairly for a Trojan. Some rumors claimed that she was a concubine for her master, while others claimed that she was secretly the general's bastard. None of these were true to Peridosius's knowledge, and the slave had little idea as to what went on inside her master's head when it came to treatment.

She looked down at her bag of scrolls as she climbed the steps of the Manor, all eight rolls of papyrus filled with the history of various sea monsters. 

The slave snorted. No, she definitely had no idea what went on in the general's head. Should she tell her that they were landlocked, or would it be fruitless? Whatever her reason was, her master was most likely growing impatient.

She hurried down the Great Hall to her master's chambers where she stopped in front of a servant.

"She's been waiting for you," the servant told her. 

"Shit." Peridosius muttered as she pushed past her into the chamber.

"Good luck!~" She called back in a sing-song voice, followed by a few snickers. 

"My Diamond." She gave her master the customary greeting with crossed arms and a slight bow. "I've brought you the scrolls you asked for."

"What took you so long?" Peridosius flinched at her master's grating tone, bowing her head in shame.

"Well, you see, my Diamond, we're landlocked. It's difficult to find maritime scrolls when you're--" 

"I don't care," she interrupted. "I ordered you to bring me the scrolls by the time the sun reached its highest point. Where is the sun now?"

Peridosius gulped. "It's...in the West."

"Which is past what I ordered. This is unacceptable," she scolded.

"My apologies, my Diamond." 

"You shall be punished accordingly. You are to read these scrolls and summarize them for me, keeping the important details. I want them ready by the time I awaken tomorrow, is that clear?" She barked.

"What?!" Peridosius exclaimed. "But that's impossible! It's not nearly enough time for one scroll, let alone eight!"

Her master narrowed her eyes, sending her a chilling glare that froze the slave where she stood. 

"Remember your place," she warned. "If it weren't for me you would have burned on that pitiful rock you called a home and I won't hesitate in burning you here. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes, my Diamond. I'll have them ready by morning." She gave her bow and waited until her master waved her off to scurry back into her room. She slumped into her chair, depositing the scrolls onto the floor next to her.

She couldn't do this. She was going to die tomorrow and all for some stupid scraps of paper her master was too lazy to read herself. 

Gods, what would her father do? Probably slay her wicked master, and command a Trojan army to conquer Greece in the name of her fallen city and Athena!

She snickered, glancing down at the scrolls. In retrospect, they didn't look that bad. She could probably do it in an hour.

Yeah, and then her master would see her worth and finally free her!

She grabbed her first scroll and rolled it out on her desk.

She could do this.

 

She fell asleep halfway through the first scroll. In her defense, it was incredibly boring and lacked descriptive language. It didn't even have similies. What text didn't have similies? Besides, what would be the point in her learning that a nymph had a fling with Poseidon? There wasn't, and there never would be. At least if she was burned she'd be put out of her misery. 

Peridosius curled inwards as she felt a cool breeze drift over the room. Gods, she needs to remember to close the windows. There was more bird poop in her quarters than in the aviary, and she couldn't keep making the servants clean it up. 

"Peridot." Her old name was whispered in her ear, stirring her out of her sleep. 

"Blood of my blood, it is time to prove your kinship and aid the gods."

Her vision blurred as she tried to blink away the rest of her sleep. She could make out the glowing, pink form that towered above her, familiar from painted statues that inhabited shrines across the country.

"Aphrodite?" She murmured in awe at the large woman.

The goddess smiled, "Yes, Peridot, it's me."

"Why are you here?" She asked, her curiosity piqued. "Gods don't usually interact with their children. Wait," a flash of horror struck her, "I've lost it, haven't I? This is just some weird, sleep-deprived hallucination caused by too much stress and Yellow Diamond is just down the hall ready to burn me at the stake because I've lost all value! My precious face is going to be wiped off of this planet and--"

"Woah woah woah, calm down, no one's going to kill you," Aphrodite reassured. "This is one hundred percent real, I just have a favor to ask you." 

"Oh, then please, continue." Peridosius waved her on.

"Your father and brother survived the attack on Troy, and are currently trying to resettle the city, but they've run into some trouble," she explained.

"And?"

"And I'd like you to find them and aid them on their quest," she finished.

Peridosius mulled the task over in her mind before answering, "No."

Her mother looked at her in shock. "No?" She repeated.

"No," she confirmed. "I refuse your task. Thanks anyway."

"B-but you can't just refuse a mission like this! You're the only one capable of helping them! Don't you care for your homeland?" She tried to reason with her daughter, a task only Athena could achieve.

"Of course I care! I think about what happened every day, what it would be like if it hadn't, but trying to leave this place is suicide. My Diamond would have my head on a stake if she caught me. Besides, I'm barely capable of lifting a sack of flour, let alone a life dependent mission," she argued. 

Aphrodite scoffed, "You're the daughter of one of the most powerful gods on Mt. Olympus, you're capable of a lot more than you think." She paused, scanning her briefly. "There's nothing I can do to convince you?"

Peridosius shook her head. "Nope."

The goddess's eyes caught the scrolls scattered around the desk, a mischievous gleam sparkling in her eye as she started to concoct a wicked plan.

"Alright then," she looked back at her daughter, "goodbye."

In a flash she had disappeared, startling Peridosius from her slumber on the desk. The fresh, dawn sunlight leaked in from the open window and settled on her parchment. 

"Peridosius!" One of the servants called the name her master had given her. "Our Diamond awaits your presence in her Hall."

In a fit of panic, she looked at the parchment to see the work she had done that night. The papyrus was blank and covered in drool.

She was dead.


	2. The Beginning Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridosius is in troubllle *chorus of fifth graders going "oooooooh"*

Peridosius wasn't sure how she wanted to freak out. She'd go back and forth between wringing out her empty scroll to running a hand through her messy locks until she was tugging out strands of hair. She was half-tempted to just stop and breakdown, but refrained from doing so in fear of her punishment being worsened. She stopped at the end of the Great Hall, her eyes tracing the wood grains that patterned the chamber doors. 

Taking a deep breath, she willed every ounce of divinity in her to gain the courage to open the door and face the wrath of her master. 

She yowled when her palm slapped the dark wood in a failed attempt to open it dramatically. She had forgotten how heavy these doors were when you tried to move them. 

Peridosius grunted as she shifted her weight into the door, slowly swinging it open into her master's chamber. 

She took a moment to let her current predicament sink in. 

Yellow Diamond must've known that she wouldn't complete the assignment, as four large soldiers stood on each side of where she sat to presumably "resolve the problem". Her master watched her slave carefully, her legs crossed where she sat.

"My Diamond," she silently greeted with crossed hands.

"Did you bring your summary on the scrolls, Peridosius?" She eyed the scroll gripped in her clutch. 

She looked at her feet in shame as she approached her master and handed her the blank parchment. 

"No, my Diamond, my apologies. I was," she mulled the response in her head, "preoccupied last night."

"With what?" She snatched the scroll from her and snapped it open.

"Uh, sleeping?" That didn't sound too suspicious, right? Technically that's what she did, so she wasn't lying to her. Stars, if her master found out about Aphrodite's visit she would--

"Why are you lying?" She asked in a low tone.

Oh, shit.

"I-I'm telling the truth, my Diamond. I slept last night instead of reading." 

"Then why is this scroll full of writing?" She turned the parchment towards her as she looked up in confusion. The parchment was blank only moments before, and Peridot hadn't written in it before she left her room. 

"I don't," she thought back to her mother, eyeing the desk. Oh, crud. "I don't know." 

"I don't appreciate it when people hide things from me." She stood from her seat, towering above Peridosius. "Especially when it's my slaves. You are going to tell me exactly what happened last night and why you're lying about this scroll, clear?" 

"Uh," she wracked her brain for something to say that didn't involve strange dreams. "Heard any good jokes lately?"

Yellow Diamond motioned for the soldiers to grab her, two holding her down while another tugged her short hair so that her chin was forced up. The remaining soldier grabbed her dagger and pointed it at her neck. 

"The Argonauts walk into a tavern, and the bartender asks what they would like and Jason says they'd like it "on the rocks!"." She laughed nervously at her horrible joke as the soldier poked her with the dagger. 

"Can I please kill her?" She asked Yellow Diamond. 

"Not until she tells me what happened last night," she commanded as she gave Peridosius the stink eye.

"I," she hesitated as she tried to think of an excuse. "I slept last night."

"Then why is the scroll filled?" Her master was growing tired of her antics, and if she was dead she wouldn't have any. 

"I did it this morning?" She lied. "Y-yeah, I made it all up this morning so my Diamond wouldn't be upset with me."

She met her icy glare, weighing whether or not it was worth getting rid of her.

"Lead her back to her room," she commanded. Peridosius let out a sigh of relief, knowing she wasn't going to die today.

The soldiers exchanged a questioning look before complying, "Yes, my Diamond."

"And guard it, nothing goes in or out without my express permission."

***

She had to close her window when she got back. She couldn't complain, she wasn't dead and there weren't going to be any birds in her room. 

However, her confinement did nothing to change the summer heat and humidity that was trapped in her space. 

The ceiling had quickly become her favorite thing to stare at during her prison. Sure, she could've read the scrolls that stayed squat on the floor, but this was a punishment. She couldn't possibly do work during it, she had to try and make herself as useless as she felt. 

In the early stages of her confines, she wondered whether or not she would ever be allowed free reign of the palace again. She guessed she would earn it eventually; it wasn't like she could be kept under guard forever.

She lifted her head off the bed to see one of the servants come in with supper in hand. At least she was remembering to feed her.

She plopped her head back down as the servant placed the tray on the space next to it. 

"You look nothing like her."

Peridosius moved her head so she could look at the servant. 

She was pale, with gray eyes that looked at her with a mixture of confusion and disgust. Her strawberry blonde hair was cut above her chin, alerting anyone who saw her of her enslavement. 

"Yes, contrary to popular belief, I am not the daughter of the general. Sorry to disappoint," she replied in annoyance.

The servant rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I knew that. I was talking about Aphrodite."

Peridosius stiffened at the mention of her mother, and narrowed her eyes at the servant. 

"How do you know about that?" She asked slowly.

"Oh, please, anyone who bothered to know you would know that. My name's Pearl, by the way," she introduced herself.

"All the servants are named Pearl." She turned her attention back to the ceiling, hoping if she ignored the servant she'd go away.

"Well, not all the servants are going to bust you out."

Peridosius jumped upright, looking at the servant like she was half-crazed.  

"You're joking me! It's impossible to get past the guards, let alone outside the house," she argued.

Pearl's gaze was caught on something across the room, a thoughtful look on her face. Peridosius followed it and groaned when she realized what Pearl was thinking about. They were on an upper floor, and she didn't think there were bushes underneath them.

"We are not jumping out the window," she told her adamantly.

***

They ended up jumping out the window, and Peridosius learned that there were bushes under the window. She noticed them when her trajectory landed her tush right in front of the shrubs.

"Walk it off," Pearl told her as she began to make her way across the grounds. Peridosius scurried after her to the stables, where a chestnut mare stood prepped. 

The servant gracefully climbed the steed before offering a hand to the slave to help her up. She took it, and together they rode out of the property and across the cobblestone streets that made up the town.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked Pearl as they reached the square. "Why not let me rot in Yellow Diamond's palace like the disgusting Trojan I am?"

"I'm a follower of Aphrodite," Pearl explained. "She came to me in a vision this morning, and directed me to free her daughter," she gave Peridot an unamused look, "that's you, from slavery once nightfall came." 

"Oh, okay." She watched the homes and cottages whip by and deplete as they came closer to to the woods. 

"Hey, what did you mean when you said I didn't look like my mother?"

"What do you think I meant?" 

"Were you calling me ugly?" 

She fell off the horse when it abruptly stopped in the forest. She swore she felt a thorn prick her ass when she fell on it.

"This is your stop, good luck on your quest," Pearl waved at her as she turned the horse around.

"WAIT!" Peridosius exclaimed as she scrambled to stand in front of the mare. "Aren't you supposed to come with me on my quest and help out?"

The servant burst into laughter. "No! I already helped you out. Like you said, it's _your_ quest."

She walked the horse around the half-God before trotting off.

"Good luck!~" She called behind her in a sing-song voice.

"Screw you!" Peridosius shouted back.

***

The runaway slave had been trodding through the forest since she was ditched by that deadbeat servant. What was her problem, anyway? It wasn't like she had done anything to her. She was the most lovable person she knew!

She pursed her parched lips as she trudged on in the high sun. Had she ever mentioned that she hated summer?

She stopped as a foreign sound permeated the thick air, whipping her head towards the source. It sounded like a pool. She walked towards it, hoping it had a cool, refreshing source.

Peridosius broke into a sprint when she saw it, tripping over twigs and leaves in excitement. 

She dipped her head into the clear water, brushing her tangled mane with her fingers. She soon lifted her head to sip the chilly liquid and finally hydrate. 

She sat back when she finished, watching her reflection in the rippling pool.

Her short hair was once curled, but her frantic tugging and threading of the blonde locks caused them to frizz and stick up. She was pale, and couldn't tell her freckles apart from mud splatter and dirt stains. Her emerald eyes were dull and carried purple bags under them. 

Focusing on the image below her, she didn't notice the hooves pounding the ground or the orders shouted out.

She leaned in, noticing a weird fish swim beneath her reflection. It almost looked like a human.

In a flash of spray, the nymph had put her lips to Peridosius', parting her lips with her tongue. Her nimble fingers had tangled through her thick, blonde waves to hold her in place. As quickly as the creature had been upon her, she had pulled the mortal down into the pond's depths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading I appreciate your feedback! :)


	3. The Beginning Pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer is annoying, nymphs are annoying, and everything is annoying GAH!  
> The journey begins...

Peridosius had no idea that the pond went this deep. The clear water she had dipped in faded quickly as she reached a murky blue. The rush of water and popping ears did nothing to combat the shock of being kidnapped by a nymph. Sure, she was the daughter of Aphrodite, but she had no idea her beauty would get her in trouble that fast. 

They stopped in the dark waters, where Peridosius finally had her wits about her and struggled against the creature's grasp. She balled up, and pushed the nymph away with her feet. Once her lips were off her, she began to gasp for air and claw to the surface. The edge of her vision began to fade as her muscles slackened, succumbing to the water that filled her lungs when she realized she was too deep.

She felt arms wrap around her, the nymph sucking the water out of her and replacing it with air.

Her vision cleared, everything around her seeming brighter and more clear. The tight hold on her was loosened, the nymph allowing her to float to the surface where she swallowed the air like a glutton. Before she could be recaptured, she splashed to the edge and clung to the grass for dear life, hauling herself onto the sweet, sweet ground. 

Peridosius turned over with a sigh of relief, but bolted upright when she heard splashing in the pool. Her eyes locked with the bored, cerulean eyes of the nymph. 

The creature was blue, her skin the color of the cloudless, summer sky Peridosius hated so much. Her short hair was a navy color, like the deep recesses of the pond she had just been dragged into. 

"Stay--" she frantically looked around for some sort of weapon. "Stay back,"  she picked up a nearby twig and waved it at her, "I'm warning you." 

"Or what?" The creature dared. "You'll take that caravan on with a stick and I'll have to save your life again? You're welcome, by the way." 

"Saved?!" Peridosius exclaimed. "You tried to drown me!"

"Hey, if I hadn't intervened you would've been captured or killed by that caravan. Besides, it's not my fault you were squirming so much," she replied.

"What caravan, and why do you think they'd capture me?" Peridosius side-tracked.

"The one that just passed through," the nymph told her. "And it's pretty obvious you're a slave with the short hair."

"Ugh, I don't have time for this." She picked herself up and fixed her chiton for the road. "Thanks, I guess, but I have to go. Bye."

She made for the beaten path left by the caravan when she felt someone grab her by the shoulder.

"Where in the Underworld do you think you're going?" In a flash, Peridosius came face-to-face with a pair of blue tits. 

Being as well-read as she was, the demigod should have known better than to assume that the nymph was clothed. Granted, she didn't know that she would follow her out of the pond, but that shouldn't excuse her surprise at the creature's naked form.

"My face is up here," she told her when she caught her staring. 

"Yes!" She squeaked, averting her gaze away from the nymph's breasts to see her roll her eyes. 

"You owe me."

"What?" Her boob-driven stupor was knocked out by the creature's inflicting words.

"A life," she replied, crossing her arms, "or something of equal or greater value."

"No I don't! You didn't even do anything for me," she exclaimed. 

"Yes, I did. I saved your life, so that's what you owe," she huffed.

"Whatever, Amphitrite."

"My name's Lapis," she growled.

"Whatever!" Peridosius threw her arms in the air. "I don't have time for this, I have a mission to complete."

She stomped back onto the caravan trail, following the path the soldiers left behind. She heard Lapis shuffle behind her as she continued to walk, and spun around to point at her when her frustration was peaked. 

"Why are you following me?" She demanded.

"You owe me," she repeated, "and I'm not leaving you until I get what's mine." 

Peridosius grumbled under her breath, something about how annoying Lapis was and that summer was horrible. She might be stuck with her for awhile because, despite her limited knowledge on sea creatures, it was common knowledge that most nymphs were immortal, and Lapis was no exception.

***

The nymph was quiet for the most part, and kept mainly to herself when she was asked invasive questions by Peridosius. It seemed that the two possessed mutual feelings of annoyance towards each other, but Lapis pressed on about the debt owed to her if only to mess with the demigod. Sure, she was taking advantage of her irritability, but it just made it easier to get a reaction out of her, and they were damn good reactions.

"What's so important about this stupid mission anyways?" Lapis asked the short one. 

"First of all, it's not stupid," Peridosius began to explain, "and second, my mother gave it to me." She looked over and gave Lapis a smug face. "You may have heard of her, she's one of the Twelve Olympians, much more important than some uh--naiade." 

"Oceanid," Lapis corrected, glaring back at Peridosius. "Is your mom Hera or something?" 

"Hera?!" The girl stopped in her tracks, spinning around and preparing to lecture her. "Hera doesn't do anything on Olympus other than complain to Zeus about his sex life and kill mortals. She doesn't have the patience, let alone the will, to have an affair with a human! That's just silly!"

"Well, you don't exactly have Artemis's survival skills, or Athena's wit. What about Hestia?" Lapis guessed.

"Hey, I'm smart! And no, she's not Hestia, she's a virgin and always will be," she reminded.

"Yeah, that's why I guessed her." The nymph grinned in amusement as the demigod's face began to flush.

"Aphrodite," she told her, "my mother's Aphrodite."

Lapis snorted and had to cover her mouth to contain the onslaught of laughter threatening to erupt. 

"You're _fucking_ with me," she stage-whispered. "You two look nothing alike!"

"Why do people keep saying that?" Peridosius shouted to the heavens, throwing her arms up in chagrin.

Lapis cleared her throat in an attempt to compose herself. "Well you see, Aphrodite's so," she took her hand and lifted it above her head, "and you're really," she took her other hand and lowered it. 

"I just haven't had my growth spurt yet," Peridosius argued.

"And your face looks like the Minotaur's butt."

"It does not! My face is a gift to the whole world," she said, looking away from Lapis's conceited face.

"Well, you definitely inherited her ego," the nymph commented, following her line of sight, "and it would explain why you like looking at my boobs so much."

"Yes, exactly," she agreed without paying attention to what Lapis was saying. Her face reddened when she realized what she concurred to, and where her eyesight was directed when she said it. 

Lapis crossed her arms over her breasts, hiding them from view so Peridosius could look at the smug smile curled on her annoying, blue face. 

"Screw you," she muttered as she felt the warmth of her embarrassment creep up her neck.

"I bet you'd like that." Her grin widened as Peridosius grew flustered and went back to marching on the path, grumbling about deities and how frustrating they were. She sauntered after her, enjoying the reaction she got. This was going to be fun.

"Wait," Peridosius stopped. "Did you hear that?"

"Nope." Lapis walked past her. "What is it with mortality that makes you all so...panicked?"

Half a second later, Lapis learned the answer as a soldier was on her, grabbing and holding her to his chest.

He let out a holler in victory as the nymph squirmed against him. "Not everyday you catcha nymph, a feat not even the gods can accomplish." He clutched her face to look at her. "Pretty thing, you're coming with me."

Peridosius watched from her hiding place in the bushes as she saw the soldier walk back to camp, Lapis swung over his shoulder like a sack of meat. 

It was time to pay back the nymph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Aphrodite is the patron goddess of homosexuality.
> 
> This isn't as long as the others, but I needed to get the journey started and I got impatient.


	4. End of the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot takes on a caravan full of soldiers with only a stick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha I'm much more productive during school than during summer.  
> Which is why I hate it.

Her first memory was an event that occurred nineteen years ago, before the Trojan War breached the walls of her home. She was three years old when she and her twin brother had wandered out of the grounds and to the commons well, where they played soldier near the low dusty edge. In an attempt to best her brother with a soggy twig, Peridosius had climbed on top of the well to deliver an attack from above. Of course, with her luck, she had lost her balance and was soon tumbling into the dark, murky depths. Her father had fished her out of the well with the help of some of the commoners. She had spent the following two weeks in bed ill, some of the doctors thinking that she would not recover. 

Of course, she did recover, or else she wouldn't be squat in prickly bushes watching a camp with a careful eye. The sickness still managed to do a number on her, and a nasally voice and weakened immune system was the result. 

The girl sniffed and wiped her nose with her finger as she snuck behind a soldier sitting on a stump, a cloak neatly folded next to him.

Peridosius had two options: either she could run out and get stabbed, or sneak in quietly and take the nymph unnoticed. Both plans had their flaws and similar outcomes. The first option's flaws and outcome were obvious, but the second option was more complicated. The demigod would begin by trying to remain quiet, but in the end would fail and get stabbed. 

Despite the gravity of the situation, Peridosius felt comforted knowing the outcome of whatever she chose. Today, she would be stabbed. 

However, her mission to aid her brother was more important than her utter failure as an adventurer and duty demanded that she at least make an effort.

She took a deep breath, grounding her thoughts as she shakily reached out and took the soldier's cloak. She shrank back into the woods and wrapped it around herself, lifting the hood to hide her short, frizzy locks. If they found out she was a slave, they could return her to her master, or worse. She'd need a backup in case her disguise fell through.

She scanned the forest floor before finding a thin twig lying desolate on wet ground. Perfect. 

She snatched her newly acquired weapon and stashed it in the clasp of her toga where the soldiers wouldn't find it. She had to be sneaky, this was a covert operation.

***

"Excuse me," Peridosius spoke up as she walked into the camp and towards the campfire. "I think I'm lost."

Hearty strings of laughter trailed off as the soldiers turned to face the intruder.

"What in the Underworld are you doing here?" 

Peridosius narrowed her eyes, "I just told you, I'm lost."

"Don't bother the old lady," an older soldier with a gray beard snapped. "Where are you going?"

"Uh...Corinth?" She answered, naming the first thing that popped into her head. 

"Corinth," he mused, "that's a while away. You aren't traveling alone, are you? It could be very dangerous for the elderly."

Peridosius opened her mouth to inform him of her real age, when an idea popped into her head. "Well, you're more likely to get struck by Zeus than to get attacked by a bandit. Besides, who would attack a poor, defenseless old woman at night? They're all probably sleeping, which I would be doing if I could sleep on the ground without my bones aching."

The grayed man was silent, considering what she had said.

"Why don't you rest here for the night," he suggested. "We can give you an escort you as far as the river bend in the morning."

Peridosius gave a not-so-surprised gasp. "Gee, would you really?" 

He stood up and took her elbow, "It would be disrespectful not to. Let me guide you to the tent with our...other "guest"."

She smiled widely, amused by how easy this had been.

The soldier led her to a tent in the center of their makeshift camp and opened a flap to let her inside. And there, brooding in the corner of the shelter, was Lapis.

Rescue Mission: Success.

"If you need anything, just holler," he told her before leaving the two of them. 

"Thank you," she shouted back before turning to the nymph who was glaring at her from across the tent.

"What are you doing here?" Lapis asked with a surprising amount of concern in her voice. 

"Uh, what does it look like? I'm rescuing you," she told her. She held up her hands. "Now now, no need to thank me all at once."

"This is a prison," she deadpanned. She gazed at her "hero" with a mixture of disbelief and confusion, horrified that someone could be so dull. "You were tricked, and fell right into their trap." 

Peridosius scoffed, "Trap? Why would they set up a trap for me?"

"Ma'am, we captured one of the runaway slaves, she's in the prison tent with a nymph." A muffled voice reported through the thick tent flap.

"Good," a sickeningly familiar voice responded. "I want everything ready for her execution by morning, but keep the nymph. She could be useful."

"Oh no," she muttered, peeking through the tent flap to see her former master residing over the camp. 

"Did you at least have some sort of a plan when you walked into camp?" The immortal asked her.

"Ah, no," Peridosius replied as she closed the flap. "I suppose we'll just have to make a run for it."

Lapis shot her a questioning look, "Did you steal one of their weapons in case they catch us?"

"No, but! I do have this," she reached into her sleeve and triumphantly pulled out her stick. Lapis was horrified.

"You can't fight off a caravan with a stick! You'll be slaughtered," she exclaimed. 

"Hey, at least I'm coming up with ideas," she snapped. "When did you start caring about me anyways?"

"Since I saved you," she answered.

The demigod was silent as she processed what Lapis had said. It made enough sense, she had to have a reason to help her in the first place, but the why was what stumped her. 

"Peridosius," a sharp voice split the name like wood. "Why am I not surprised to find you here?"

The person in question nervously turned around to face her former master. 

"M-my Diamond! What a surprise. What's brought you to this side of the woods?" She gave a nervous laugh as the intimidating woman scowled at her.

"You," she growled, "and a Pearl."

"Really?" She faked astonishment as she backed into Lapis's corner of the tent. "That sounds very interesting, and I would _love_ to catch up with you, but we're in a bit of a rush and we should probably get going. Right, Lapis?" She shot the oceanid an apologetic look.

"Sure do," Lapis cheerily responded. 

"Right, sorry to leave on such short notice, but it was real nice seeing you again." She lifted the cover for Lapis to crawl out as Yellow Diamond angrily stomped towards them.

"Bye!" Peridosius ducked out of the tent and ran across camp with Lapis beside her.

Behind, she heard Yellow Diamond shout out orders to her guards to catch them. Guards sprinted ahead of them with swords drawn and spears thrust, blocking off their exits. Stars, they were dead. 

"Hang on," Lapis said as she grabbed her wrists and jumped. 

Peridosius squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for them to fall to the ground and get stabbed by the caravan. 

"Don't let go," she heard the nymph tell her from above. She slowly cracked her eyes open to see the caravan below growing smaller.

"We're flying," she breathed. "OH MY STARS WE'RE FLYING!"

Lapis laughed, "Yep!"

"How?" She asked in amazement.

"Some Oceanids can manipulate the water in the air and fly," she smirked. "And I'm one of them."

Peridosius looked at the mystical being with revere. "Wow."

***

Lapis landed them in a small clearing beyond a river bend, gracefully landing on her feet as the demigod tumbled on her ass.

"You owe me double now, by the way."

"What?" She exclaimed as she found her bearings like a newborn calf. "But why?"

"I've saved your life twice now," she reminded. "So you owe me two lives."

"But I don't have time for that," she shouted in frustration, falling back on her butt again. "I have to go find wherever the underworld my brother's been hiding and help him rebuild. I don't have time to repay you  for every little thing."

The nymph cocked her hip, putting a hand on her chin as she mulled it over. "Then I guess I'll just have to come with you on your life-changing adventure." 

"Really?" She muttered in disbelief. "You'd really do that?"

The blue-skinned being smirked, "Of course, _Peridosius_. Might I add that that's the fakest Greek name I've ever heard." 

The mortal scowled, "That's not my real name." 

Lapis tilted her head. "What should I call you, then?"

"Peridot," she replied, "call me Peridot."

The nymph offered a small smile and hand. "Hi, Peridot. I'm Lapis Lazuli."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't edit this please don't kill me.


	5. Two Demigods and Water Nymph Walk Into an Inn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kinda filler kinda sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll proofread this tomorrow

In Peridot’s short time on the Earth, she had come to learn and understand that waking up was a slow and gradual process. It started around dawn, when the dew settled on blades of grass and the sun painted the sky with light oranges and pinks as it blazed in a passionate red. The light would tickle her eyelids, bursting through the skin in a subdued orange.

At first, she would crack her heavy eyelids open, before being drawn back to sleep and lucid dreams. She fought sleep’s temptation at first, sitting upright in a daze, before toppling forward into sleep’s arms.

During Lapis’s long tenure on the planet, she had learned one thing about sleep: you either do, or you don’t. She would go months without catching a bit of shut eye, letting currents ebb through and rejuvenate her. To her, sleep was more of an assignment than a necessity. Sure, she _could_ work on it every day, especially when she wasn’t in the water doing anything of particular importance. Or, she could procrastinate, look through the reflection on her pond and watch the day shift and pass as seasons changed in a blink of an eye.

When she did sleep, she would go all out. She would nap for days and sleep for weeks, catching up on years of neglect. She’d use it to escape the incubus of her tired mind and trauma, which would play out in her dreams regardless.

Lapis stared at the sun rise into the sky, letting the light burn the back of her eyes. She could relate to the sky, and the stages of calm, and fire it seemed to revolve around. It was her home in a sense, from the wind parting her hair to Zephyrus’ _god_ -awful puns.

She snorted at her own joke, wondering what the West Wind would think if he heard it.

She felt a gentle breeze brush against her, and for a moment allowed herself to think that he had been listening to her thoughts and was now laughing alongside her.

Gods, that felt like a lifetime ago. Technically speaking, it _was_ a lifetime ago, but whose lifetime had passed was still a mystery to Lapis. Was it the lifetime of some insignificant human, whose spark of life flickered and sizzled out with a hiss? Was it hers, the life she had lived before she had sealed herself off from the rest of the physical world? Or was it Malachite’s?

Lapis nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard something thud in the grass behind her. Or was it more of a thump? Now that she thought back on it, the sound could’ve been a thunk. She glanced behind her to see what could make such a confusing noise. It was Peridot, slumped over in a half-assed attempt to wake up.

Lapis twisted her mouth, torn between her refusal to waste any more time and letting her sleep-in after her botched rescue attempt. With her decision in mind, she strode over to where Peridot was sleeping and kicked her over.

“Get up, we need to get going,” Lapis told her as she curled into a fetal position.

“No,” she mumbled. “Just a bit longer.”

“You can’t lie here all day,” she argued, taking an arm and dragging her. “We have things to do, and I get the feeling that they’re time sensitive.” At least, Lapis’s plans were time sensitive.

“They can wait.”

Lapis dropped her arm and looked at her in disbelief. “Do you not understand the meaning of the words, ‘time sensitive’?”

“Not when I’m sleeping.”

This was going to be more difficult than she thought.

***

Peridot scowled as her feet slid in her sandals as she walked, the ground squelching beneath her and throwing blades of grass into her footwear. She clutched the soaking cloak in her arms like a child’s blanket, wringing it out with every furious stomp.

“I was going to wake up,” she growled, “you didn’t have to throw me in the river!”

“It was a creek,” she corrected, “and technically I threw it onto you.”

“So!” Peridot shot her a glare. “I could’ve drowned, and now my robes are going to stick to me the rest of the day.”

“Why do you even wear those things? Don’t they weigh you down?” She peeled some fabric off her shoulder, feeling it between her fingers.

“Only when they’re wet.” She shrugged her hand off of her and began to focus on the direction they were walking in. Once the sun warmed her back and the fog of sleep and anger had faded away, Peridot realized that she didn’t recognize of these surroundings. She scanned the foliage around her, hoping to find a landmark she could use to gauge where they were headed.

“Do you know where we’re going?” She asked Lapis.

“Nope.”

“Any idea where we are?”

“Nuh-uh.”

Peridot shook her feet as she walked, trying to get rid of the grass blades sliding between her toes.

“What are you doing?” She watched her awkwardly waddle along with a concerned face.

“The grass is bothering me,” she explained.

“Just keep walking, it’ll come out eventually.” She picked up her pace, as if to prove the point to her.

“Easy for you to say! It’s your fault tha--” Peridot stopped her trail of thought when she felt the familiar rush of falling, throwing the cloak away so she could try to catch her fall.

“Oh my stars,” Lapis exclaimed as she rushed over and picked her up. “Are you okay?”

“You know, I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen more on this journey than I have in the rest of my life,” she commented as she wiped the dirt off of her robes and knees.

“At least it wasn’t on your butt again,” she remarked, letting go of her when she figured she wouldn’t trip standing up.

Peridot rubbed the sore spot on her tailbone, reminiscing on times when it didn’t ache to sit down. “It’ll never be the same.”

She bent down to pick up the cloak, noticing a break in the grass where an arched over root had been dug out of the ground. A sense of dread fell over her, like a human tripping on a dug-out root.

“Let’s keep going, we’re bound to run into a town eventually,” she said, picking herself back up. She started a brisk pace in the direction they were headed in, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched.

***

They reached a large town by the middle of the following day, not having stopped since Peridot tripped on the root. Sure, they took bathroom breaks, but all Peridot wanted was a nap. A nice, simple, 13-hour nap after a warm meal, which wasn’t _too_ much to ask for. Before they passed through the town gates, however, she tugged Lapis back into the safety of the foliage and away from curious eyes.

“Before we go into town, I need you to do me a favor.” She twisted the cloth of the cloak in her hands as Lapis shot her a curious look.

“Okay?”

She thrust the cloak into her arms, “Put this on.”

Lapis looked down at the cloak in a moment of confusion before tossing it back at Peridot’s face. “No way! I refuse to put your human garbage on my body.”

She pulled the cloak off of her head, throwing it at her.

“We can’t have anyone find us,” she argued. “You’re too noticeable, you need a disguise.”

“Your face is too noticeable.”

Peridot growled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Naked women are more noticeable than clothed women, and if we want to go through this place without causing any trouble, then put on the damn cloak.”

“As nice as it is to see you using your head, there’s one _tiny_ flaw with your plan,” Lapis pointed out, before waving her hand in front of Peridot’s face. “I. Am. Blue. They’re going to notice me anyways.”

Peridot slapped her hand out of her face before shooting her a shit-eating grin. “Only if you keep the hood down.”

***

The town was busy during midday, but nothing like the cities Peridot had grown accustomed to. Sure, it still smelled like horse shit and sweat, but the streets were mostly dirt and stepping stones, with the exception of the town-fountain.

The two misfits wandered around the town center, looking for food stands, maps, sacks, or anything else they could use on their journey. An extra on Peridot’s List for Adventuring/Quest ObjectsTM was an inn, where she could sleep, eat, and possibly dig for information on her brother’s whereabouts.

She felt a tug on her robes, and looked up to see Lapis nodding her head towards a group of naked women, chatting amiably by the well.

“How come they don’t have to wear clothes when I do?” She asked.

Peridot turned up her nose, “Do not streak in the town square.”

“I’m a goddess, you’re not the boss of me,” she argued.

“Lapis, I swear to Zeus, if you get through this one day of wearing clothes I won’t make you wear them ever again,” she told her.

“For your sake, you better not.”

Peridot furrowed her brows as heard a low hum come from below her, and a weight shifting against her shins. She looked down to see a fluffy, purple cat rub against her, weaving itself between her uneven feet.

“This is another reason I refuse to wear clothes,” Lapis continued, pointing to the cat, “some heartless _mortal_ dumped dye all over this innocent cat.” She knelt down and rubbed its cheek, smiling as it purred loudly in response.

“Oh no,” Peridot gasped, “somebody dumped dye _all over_ this nymph!”

Lapis stuck her tongue out at Peridot, picking up the cat and stroking it behind the ear.

“We’re not bringing the cat,” she told her.

“I was going to drop it off when we finished running errands,” Lapis defended.

“For your sake, you better.”

***

Peridot grumbled as she scuffed the dirt path in a fury. Apparently, one needed “money” to “buy things” and since she didn’t have any “money” she couldn’t buy anything. Despite Peridot’s shortcomings with travel supplies, Lapis seemed to be having a field day with the cat.

She looked up at the sky, watching the sun paint it varying shades of purple and pink as it set to rest for the day. It was getting dark, and the two needed a place to stay for the night.

“We should head to the inn for the night, we need a place to sleep,” Peridot suggested.

Lapis hummed, “Don’t you need money for those?”

“Not for the stables,” Peridot informed. “Besides, it’s probably where the cat is from.”

Lapis shrugged, stroking the cat that happily napped in the crook of her arms.

“There’s just one thing I want to check inside before we hit the hay.” She rounded the corner.

“And what’s that?” Lapis asked.

“I’m going to see if they know anything about where Steven is, or where he’s headed.” The cat perked her head, watching her carefully as she continued into the establishment. “I know it’s a longshot, but my mom didn’t give me any leads and I have to start looking somewhere.”

“As long as you don’t get killed, you can’t pay me back in the Underworld.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Peridot paused just inside the doorway, taking in the scene of the inn.

There was a fire pit in the center of the room, where weary travelers and foot soldiers roasted greasy meats and drank booze. The building was only partially decrepit, with the basic necessities taken care for and the establishment still standing. Rooms seemed to be on the opposite side of the pit, and behind the inn she could see a bathhouse and stables. The whole establishment seemed to be stained with the scent of piss.

Peridot cleared her throat, scanning the rows of men and their lovers.

“EXCUSE ME,” she shouted, startling Lapis as the cat clung to her in fear. “DOES ANYBODY KNOW THE WHEREABOUTS OF A BOY NAMED STEVEN?”

All eyes turned towards the two standing at the entrance.

After further consideration, Peridot continued, “ACTUALLY, HE’S PROBABLY A MAN BY NOW, DO ANY OF YOU KNOW OF A MAN NAMED STEVEN?”

“Peridot?” Lapis tugged on her robe, trying to derail her attention.

“What is it?” She glanced back to her in annoyance.

“Do those guys look familiar?” She pointed to a group of soldiers glaring at the two in the back, some of them quietly discussing something.

“Those look like the soldiers I ambushed,” Peridot remarked.

“Failed to ambush,” she corrected.

The men stood from their spots and began to stride towards the two girls, hands reaching for their hilts.

Lapis grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the inn and into the fading light outside where they broke into a sprint. The cat mewled in distress as they headed towards the gates.

“Just when I thought you were starting to get smarter, you go and pull that stunt,” Lapis scolded her. “What in Mount Olympus were you thinking?”

“I didn’t know who to ask, so I made a general announcement,” she argued.

“If you live to the end of this, it’ll be nothing short of a miracle.”

“And character development,” she added.

They stopped at the gates, and began to push and pound them when they realized they were closed.

Peridot faced the soldiers closing in on them, and slid down the gates in defeat.

“We’re fucked.”

“At least you’re not dying as virgins,” a voice came from around them. The cat squirmed in Lapis’s arms and leaped onto the Earth.

The two scanned the area around them for whomever could have spoken, only to glance down at the cat when it cleared its throat.

“You can thank me later for this, by the way,” she told them as she turned towards the attackers. In a flash of light, she grew in size until a lioness stood between them and the soldiers.

Damn good thing Lapis kept the cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to do research for this on ancient towns and inns but then I realized *~it doesn't affect the plot in any way so why should I care~*

**Author's Note:**

> Are you reading my end notes?  
> If you want updates on this fic or want to bother me for not updating fast enough, bug me on my tumblr: megthechicken.tumblr.com


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